109 



by the contact of -snow. Blow upon it once or 

 twice, aod your hand is dry. It causes a hissing when 

 poured upon wunu water, as if a piece of liot iron were 

 thrown into it. Put a lump of sut;ar which Iras' imbibed : 

 a little of it, into a vessel full of hot water, the sugar 

 sinks ; but the rtl'rr ru'sbiogfc forth, e\cites a -strong ebul- 

 lition. If a spoonful 01 iV be pouted Uito a copper pot 

 full of boiling VA<I er; hold a candle near, and instantly 

 there- isrir.vs a - g^eat Bash of lightning. Hence it ap- 

 pears, that this ether, is both a very fluid water,, and a-' 4 

 moit subtil fire; so that if kindled in a thousand' 

 times the quantity of cold water, it burns- inextinguish- 

 ably 



It does not manifest the least oiliness to the touch J 

 yet is it the true, natural diaaoivenl of all fat oils and 

 gums whatever. 



it has a wonderful harmony with gold, even greater 

 than that vviiich i between gold and aqua regia. Dis- 

 solve a piece of gold in aqua regia: on the solution cold 

 pour halt an ounce or etner. Shake the sjass, and all 

 the gold wiil p.iss into this, and the aqua regia robbed 

 of all its gold, will deposit a white power, which soon 

 turning green, is the copper wherewith the gold vas 

 adulujtated. Ether then is the most noble and efficaci- 

 ous instrument in chymistry, and pharmacy, inasmuch as 

 essence-, and essential oils are extracted oy it immediate- 

 ly, with >ut the mediation of fire, tVom- woods, 1 barks, 

 root>, aerbs, flowers, seeds^ and the various parts ofani- 

 m*\->. 



For instance, take mint, sage, cinnamon, or all toge- 

 ther, cut- iul boitie them; pour on them a spoonful or 

 two of ether,. and a/ ep it }*> stood an hour in a cool 

 place, .. fili up the bottle with cold waier, and presently 

 you will see the essenti.il oil swimming up^u the water. 

 L: like manner, though not so imii ediaiely, it extracts 

 the purest .iruld irorn any. of the baser numerals. And 

 the guid L.ur; extracted, :s better ami sooner purified by 

 this one op^raii uu, than by fusion wilii antimony. It is 

 the lightest oi ait liq-.iOrs. Seven ounces of this n-1 a 

 j>hmi, v* hicii coatu-iiij iv^tuty even of oil of vitriol.. And 



K 3 



